Art district plan going to Council
14 January 2004
Daily Pilot (LA Times)
Deirdre Newman
COSTA MESA - Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley's innovative alternative for the Theater and Arts District has earned the unanimous approval of the city's Cultural Arts Committee.
Foley's alternative and a plan put forth by planning and redevelopment staff members will go to the City Council in early February.
The Theater and Arts District refers to the area bordered by Bristol Street on the west, Sunflower Avenue on the north, Avenue of the Arts on the east and the San Diego Freeway on the south, Redevelopment Manager Mike Robinson said.
Goals of the staff members' plan are to ensure consistency and superior design for prominent parts of public and outdoor private spaces in the area and to provide a funding mechanism for public improvements. Foley's plan calls for the same goals, without the staff members' oversight, and also provides funding for arts and music in Costa Mesa public schools.
The committee favored Foley's plan because of the idea of supporting students, Vice Chairwoman Charlene Ashendorf said. "The first reason is we are really excited about the potential for $300,000 to be committed to the creation of the music scholarship program for Costa Mesa's students," Ashendorf said. "These are tough times. We are always looking for money for programs for the arts."
A Theater and Arts District plan is required by the three development agreements for the Segerstrom Town Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Two Town Center. Development agreements are hashed out before the city gives its approval to certain projects and usually include applicants committing money to the city for community benefits in return for entitlements they receive.
C.J. Segerstrom & Sons is required to fund $1 million in improvements and CommonWealth Partners, which owns Two Town Center, has to pitch in $1.2 million. The Segerstroms support both plans, spokesman Paul Freeman said in November.
Only about $650,000 of the $2.2 million total is necessary for the public improvements. Foley's plan suggests that a minimum of $300,000 of the rest be allocated for the Arts and Music Scholar program. This would fund programs, productions, courses, field trips and scholarships for Costa Mesa public school students ages 4 through 18.
Another proponent of Foley's plan is Christine Anderson, the principal of Sonora School. To get music and the arts, especially in kindergarten through third grade, usually requires funding from outside sources, Anderson said.
"I think it's an outstanding idea, of course, because it brings money into schools for the arts, which is just fabulous, especially with our budget concerns," she said. "To have money for those things is just such a treat."